Dragon Gate
by Kisara White
Summary: Metamorphosis. Evolution. Rebirth. Whether it's one or the other, nothing matters in the shinobi world but survival and like a Koi fish jumping up in the swift rapids of blood, Haruno Sakura becomes a Dragon.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

* * *

Sakura did not remember much of the battle. All she remembers is three genin walking towards her with a lion-like gait, smirks on their faces. Sound-nin, she thinks blankly, even as she started to dismember the bodies. She dragged an arm to one corner of the clearing, digging a small hole and covering it best she could. Sakura returned for the rest of the arms and legs, distributing them inside various locations and hiding them.

As she did so, she randomly hummed the rhyme she remembered from her Academy days. She vaguely remembered one of the lines, starting with "body" and ending with " _bury_ ". Sakura giggled hysterically. Well, she was following directions.

After another couple of minutes laughing hysterically, she sat on her haunches, wondering what she should do after cleaning. Sakura rocked back and forth before getting up.

She was going to take a bath, she decided looking at her blood stained hands.

Right after she redid the traps around the clearing.

* * *

Sakura scrubbed at her arms, using the gravel at the bottom of the river. She mused at what a shame it was that she did not have soap but she ignored it, instead dropping the gravel and scrubbing vigorously at her hair.

Sakura then sighed, lying stomach up in the river. She looked up at the rock alcove hiding her, after all it'd be stupid to bathe in clear view of whatever enemy could find her. She hummed, the sound echoing quietly before stopping.

No, it was too loud.

She went back to scrubbing.

* * *

It took about thirty minutes give-or-take for her to finish her bath but she felt somewhat refreshed, or as refreshed as one could feel with blood on their hands.

Sakura walked rather languidly towards camp and she counted her steps towards there, even as she rung out her rather wet and long hair.

As she was only a few feet away, she could hear a scuffle and something in her tensed and green eyes sharpened like a kunai taken to whetstone.

Her steps were quiet as she approached the area where Naruto and Sasuke were sleeping in and her hand slid like a snake towards her weapons' holster, slowly lifting out a kunai and she readied herself as the sound quieted and-

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nearly laughed for a moment. "Naruto."

He cocked his head and took her in with a look that had her reaching for her holster again. She didn't know Naruto could have such a serious look to his face if not for the time she saw Naruto try and take on Orochimaru. "S-Sakura-chan."

"Hmm..?"

"Are you okay?"

Sakura thought of her three murders, quick but not clean and definitely not quiet. She thinks of how she chopped up the bodies, distributing them across the area.

She thought of the blood on her hands, the blood that did not go away after her bath, the blood that followed her now.

"I'm fine Naruto-baka. We should go and move Sasuke-kun."

* * *

Sasuke, as it turned out, had already awoken as Sakura was talking and he had a grimace on his face as he recalled the events that had taken place and the mark on his shoulder. However he had agreed at the statement of moving although there was one problem. "Where are we going to get two scrolls? We don't even have one!" Sasuke bit out, an angry snarl replacing the grimace.

Sakura observed him for a moment, eyes contemplating in a way she usually never was when it came to him. She looked at her holster for a moment and back at Sasuke who was now arguing with Naruto.

She reached down in her kunai pack and pulled out a scroll, deliberately putting it in the middle. The two boys now stopped arguing and they looked at her with something akin to surprise. Sasuke recovered first, "Where'd you get that? You couldn't have won a fight."

Sakura only smiled at Sasuke, "Of course it wasn't a fight Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke only grunted and took the scroll. "Now all we need is one more."

Naruto nodded at Sasuke's statement before smiling at her, "Good job Sakura-chan! You did good!"

Sakura smiled again, green eyes twinkling. "Of course."

 _It wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter._

* * *

As they move towards the Tower, they come across a team and Naruto and Sasuke fight roughly, the threat of disqualification making them not only desperate but dangerous. Sakura only stood besides and she watched, humming the same song she had hummed as she hid the bodies.

Finally the two boys left three groaning genin and they grinned triumphantly, holding the scroll they needed. "Hey Sakura-chan, let's go!"

Sakura nodded, "Okay, just wait a minute."

"Okay Sakura-chan." And then they were off.

Sakura gazed down at the three genin.

She took out her kunai.

Leave no enemies and leave no evidence.

She was going to have to leave evidence for this one.

* * *

When they arrive in the Tower, the first thing she does is take it in. The second is figuring out what to do with the scrolls.

After reading the rhyme on the wall and rereading it just in case, she looked at Naruto (who was scratching his head) and Sasuke (who already seemed to know what he was doing). "Hey Naruto, give me your scroll. Sasuke-kun, are you going to take out yours?"

Sasuke grunted in affirmative and they both grabbed the slips and opened it.

Smoke covered their faces and she coughed wildly although she kept her eyes and ears open. Then she heard the same voice she had heard throughout her whole entire Academy years, "RIght on time."

Naruto stared, "I-Iruka-sensei?"

"Hey Naruto," Iruka said fondly and Sakura felt a little pang in her chest for being ignored. Sakura shoved the feeling back though, instead opting to sit down, legs tired and weary. Sasuke seemed to think her idea was smart too and he sat next to her, although a bit far away.

Naruto was still talking with Iruka and chattering on and on. Sakura only smiled. Naruto hadn't talked much in the Forest, not with the pressure on top of him and it was rather nice to have some noise that wasn't the danger of the Forest.

Iruka then cleared his throat, "Anyways, there is going to be one more test for you three. Follow me."

* * *

"-in short there are too many candidates!"

There was a various discontent among the genin, murmuring among themselves. However none but Kabuto ( _Sakura's eyes narrowed at his smile)_ left. Anko gave a feral grin. "My my, I'll have fun seeing you all mow each other down."

* * *

Sakura trudged up the stairs with Sasuke and Naruto as the first fight was announced. To her surprise, Sasuke was up first against a genin named Akado Yoroi. She hummed for a moment, resting against the bars.

As the fight went on, a hand rested on her back making her stiffen and hand instinctively go down (again) to her holster. A voice stopped her from stabbing the hand. "Maa maa, is that how you teach your teacher?"

Sakura turned smiling, "Kakashi-sensei!"

He gave her a smile (although how she could tell, she didn't know).Then his visible eye turned a bit sad, "Sakura, I know what happened in the Forest."

Sakura stiffened again, "Nothing happened." _I hid it all. It didn't happen, it didn't happen, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN._

"Sakura-"

"UCHIHA SASUKE WINS!"

Kakashi lifted his head to see Sasuke being escorted to the Infirmary and Sakura ducked underneath his hand to go next to the Team Eight. They gave her a few strange glances but didn't say anything which was what Sakura was counting on.

Kakashi narrowed his eye but he didn't say another word, instead going to talk to Naruto.

Sakura gave a sigh of relief before balling up her fists at his words.

Nothing happened.

* * *

Some time passes when Sakura is called to the floor to fight with Ino. She walked down languidly, eyes kept on Ino's purple form. "Hey Forehead."

"Ino-pig," she replies, voice even.

Ino frowned, her intuition picking up on the tone. Sakura usually always became angry at the nickname and now this…

This was unusual.

Ino kept going though, "Shouldn't you have quit by now?"

Sakura just smiled, green eyes twinkling, "I could say the same. You always did care for your hair over your kunai."

Ino bristled at that but she kept calm.

Something was definitely wrong with Forehead.

The proctor coughed for a moment, distracting the two girls and he raised an eyebrow, "Are you both ready?"

"Hai."

"Then the fight with Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino will begin!"

* * *

Something in Sakura had changed when the final words left the proctor's mouth and her body tensed like a bow ready to be shot and her hand had already reached for her pouch and pulled out a kunai.

Now, Ino was sure.

Whatever had happened in the Forest of Death had changed her once-best-friend and now rival.

She didn't like it and she said it clearly, a scowl on a pretty pale face, "What the hell happened to you Forehead?"

This made Sakura cock her head, hand slightly lowering her weapon, "What do you mean Pig? Nothing happened."

Ino pulled out a shuriken, throwing it Sakura's way, "Something happened! You-You're not yourself!"

Sakura dodged easily before rushing at her, kunai bared, "I don't know what you're talking about Pig."

Ino gave a rather unfeminine grunt as she pulled a kunai of her own and blocked the blow. They struggled with each other and Ino snarled, "You've changed and I WANT YOU BACK!"

With that last word, she had managed to push Sakura back and the pinkette skidded back. Ino charged at her, metal flashing. They fought like that for a couple of seconds before Sakura jumped further back, body twisting and threw her kunai.

Ino gave hers up to throw the knife from the air and the two went at it with hand to hand combat, fists and kicks making small shockwaves. Sakura turned then and while her pink hair covered her vision, Ino kicked at her, making her stumble.

Sakura recovered quickly however, twisting just in time to dodge a knife. She stood, frowning. Ino smirked, "Who's caring for their hair now?"

Instead of coming up with a comeback, Sakura looked contemplating and she held her hair in her hand. "You're right."

Grabbing it all in one hand, Sakura sheared it off, going as close to her head as possible amidst everyone who knew Sakura's wild reactions. Ino gaped as Sakura dusted off the excess hair on her shoulders. Her hair was now a buzz cut and the blonde could not believe that this was the same Sakura. "What the hell Forehead?"

She only raised a hand, palm up, with a smile, "Aren't we fighting?"

Ino bristled and ran at her only to suddenly freeze. She managed to look down. "H-Hair?"

"I _am_ smart Ino," Sakura said with a Cheshire smile that unnerved the other girl. "Night night."

A fist slammed into her face before it went black.

* * *

When the battles are all said and done, Sakura and the other winning contestants are lined up, prim and pretty, in front of the Hokage who had chosen their opponents for the final battle.

She picked up a slip.

 _Eight._

* * *

Sakura was going up against Shikamaru.

Sakura had hummed at that, eyes meeting the Nara's whose eyes narrowed at her gaze. She gave a friendly smile and a small wave.

He did not wave back.

Sakura frowned for a moment before a hand clamped down on her again. This time she could tell it was Kakashi. "Time for that talk Sakura."

Sakura tried to roll it off but he kept his grip tight, "Sensei nothing-"

"Sakura. Please."

She froze before her shoulders finally slumped. "Okay Kakashi-sensei."

He gave her a smile that showed pride ( _something he'd never done before_ ) and patted her head, although slowly so she could see it. "Thank you."

* * *

They were in a rather dark room and she sat in a chair, fiddling with her hands. Kakashi was talking in low tones with a man before walking towards her. "Sakura-chan, a man is going to talk to you about what happened in the Forest-"

"Nothing happened-"

"AND make sure you can deal with it," Kakashi interrupted. He gave her a steely glance before softening again, "Sakura-chan, I want you to get better."

Sakura looked away, "...Okay Sensei."

Kakashi smiled before going out. The door opened again then and a man walked in, a man she recognized. "Hello Sakura-chan. My name is Yamanaka Inoichi. I'm sure you remember me as Ino's dad."

"Yes," Sakura said tilting her head.

He sat in front of her, pulling out some files. "Now I've heard that you have had your first kills in-"

"I didn't," Sakura bit out.

Inoichi tilted his head, "Sakura-"

"I DIDN'T!" Sakura shouted, getting up, eyes wild. She tried to stifle a hysterical laugh that mingled with a sob. "I swear."

Inoichi looked a bit worried, "Sakura-chan. I'm sure this is hard to admit but you need to get past this. You need to accept this."

Sakura looked away and Inoichi sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Alright then. If you don't talk today, I will have to see you every week. I will send a letter regarding the dates and times."

Sakura nodded before she left, steps hurried. Another pair of steps followed her. "Sakura-chan, did it go alright?"

"It went fine Sensei."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow but didn't question. Instead he kept talking, "You have a month to train for your Chunin Exam. I cannot personally train you but I know someone who can. Are you willing?"

Sakura slowed down at this and she looked up, "Alright."

* * *

Sakura bit back a scream as she bolted up from her bed, sweat covering her forehead. She covered her face with her hands, taking a deep breath. She could feel a wet stickiness on her hands and she couldn't tell if it was her own sweat or if it was blood.

Sakura bit her lip, the pain centering her before taking another deep breath.

She was okay.

Nothing happened in the Forest of Death.

Sakura nodded before going downstairs to her kitchen, getting a cup of water.

A hum went up in the night.

* * *

Sakura looked in the mirror, eyes put firmly on her sheared hair. Then it trailed down to her clothes, clothes that she now realized were very hard to move in and even harder to fight in.

She sighed before rifling through her closet, shoving back frilly things to the side and looking for her battle wear.

She found none.

Looks like she would have to go shopping.

* * *

Sakura browsed through the racks, hand lingering at stiff materials, black colored outfits. She wanted something that would make her stay alive.

Finally she decided upon three black shinobi shirts, sleeveless but with chainmail from the bottom, all the way to her neck. For the next, she chose two pants, long and as black as the shirts she chose. Sakura walked up to the counter when she felt a sebon poking at her neck. A breath huffed against her ear, "Whatcha gonna do now Pinky?"

She kept still but her hands moved, hidden underneath the clothes. She smiled, "Escape."

With a puff, nothing but a pair of shoes, borrowed from a shelf, were left. Sakura appeared near the shoe shelf and pulled out a kunai, eyes narrowing on her attacker.

The person laughed before raising two fingers. Smoke enveloped the person and Sakura warily kept her eyes open only to see…

"You- You're the woman from the Forest of Death!"

Anko smirked at her, twirling a sebon, "How right. Your sensei called in a few favors. I'm teaching you this month so you better be ready."

* * *

Sakura stood in front of Anko, clothed and ready. Anko smiled down at her, something close to approval on her face before it was cleared away by seriousness, "Now Pinky, Kakashi tells me that you're pretty weak on the whole entire scale 'cept your smarts. Of course, Kakashi has been wrong about a shit-ton of things so I'm going to purpose a test."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

She raised her hand, thumb up, and jabbed it at herself, "You are going to fight me."

Sakura shook her head vehemently, "No. That is suicide. I saw you with Naruto, I'm not doing that."

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Now Pinky, I didn't say you had a choice." She launched herself at Sakura and Sakura dodged to the side, rolling out of the way just as a heeled foot met the ground where she just was. A small crater erupted, making her stare. "C'mon Pinky, I don't have all day."

Sakura gritted her teeth before pulling out a kunai. "Fine."

* * *

Sakura lay on the ground, huffing while Anko stood next to her, nary a scratch. Anko smirked, "Wow, Kakashi was right. You really are weak. Hey lemme ask you a question, how'd you kill three people like that? You look like-"

"Shut up," Sakura hissed, sitting up, "I didn't kill anyone."

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Now kiddo-"

"I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE!" Sakura snarled, eyes turning bitter with rage, "I didn't kill them."

Anko knelt down and with one deft movement, smacked Sakura. Sakura's head turned, eyes wide. The purple-haired woman then grabbed her chin, making her look at her, "Kid don't be a weakling. Kakashi told me you were smart. You know what you did in that Forest, hell I even saw the pits you made. I saw the bones. You need to accept this or else you'll lose your mind in this job and trust me, you don't want to lose your mind. Unless you want to die that is."

* * *

"Do you know what you did in the Forest of Death?"

"I killed three people," came out the bitter words.

Inoichi nodded, writing down a few notes, "Now what did you feel when you did it?"

Sakura shrugged, obviously sullen, "Numb I suppose. It was very…"

"Very?"

"Surreal."

Inoichi gave a quirk of a smile, "Yes, I suppose it is. Now what made you change your mind?"

Sakura turned stiff at that and eyes lingered at the door.

 _"I don't want to die."_

* * *

"How is she Inoichi?" Kakashi asked, grey eye following the man.

Inoichi paused before speaking, "She is… She accepted the fact that she had killed someone although her reasons for accepting the fact is unusual."

"Unusual?"  
"She told me that she did not want to die."

Kakashi blinked, "Die? How would she die?"

Inoichi shrugged, "I don't know. I'm a bit worried by that answer but I'm glad that she has managed to accept it."

Kakashi nodded before walking out. As he left the suffocating Interrogation building, he thought about his one female student. She had been so loud and fiery before the Forest of Death, naive and almost like a little cute puppy.

Now, she was…

He didn't know who she was.

Now, she was a girl with sheared hair, rough hands and black clothing fit enough for a funeral.

He wonders if it's too late to change her back.

Kakashi shook his head.

Of course it was.

It was too late from the moment he put Team Seven in the Chunin Exams.

* * *

It was now a week from the last round of the Exams.

Sakura looked in the mirror and took a deep breath.

Was she ready for this?

Anko had already pounded it in her head that she was weak, that she had no other use than her smarts. Smarts that would be going up against a Nara.

Sakura groaned, before grabbing her kunai.

Time for some practice.

* * *

"Pinky that's enough."

Sakura stopped, looking at Anko who smiled, "Not bad. For a month you've gained a couple of pounds of muscle and you at least know how to decently fight. I'm expecting you to win against that Nara kid."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "I thought you said I didn't have a chance."

"I lied," Anko said shamelessly, "I've been beating you up for a month now. I've thrown things at you, made you run, made you hide, made you fight. Do you think Nara did that? At best he's playing Shogi, at worst he's napping. All he's got is his smarts." Anko leveled steely eyes on her. "What you've got is three skeletons in your closet and a will to live. You better win Pinky or else."

* * *

Sakura walked languidly towards the stadium, thoughts drifting from things here and there. A hum rose from her lips, cutting through the buzz of the crowds. Suddenly a voice came from behind her, "Haruno."

Sakura turned to see Shikamaru, his eyes narrowed. She smiled, quieting. "Shikamaru. Nice to-"

"You're different. You wouldn't have beaten Ino before."

Something in Sakura snarls at that but she keeps calm. If the deaths she's caused has taught her anything, it is to think even if you're going hysterical. She tilted her head, "I don't know what you mean Shikamaru."

Shikamaru stared at her before laughing. She let him laugh before turning and walking away. A voice stopped her once more. "This proves it. What happened in the Forest of Death?"

"You really are an intelligent one. After all, you always knew how to ask the best questions."

It does not escape Shikamaru's attention that she does not answer the question.

* * *

Most of the matches go by fast. Naruto, she thinks, is the most memorable and she smiles as she thinks of his win. Then, suddenly, it's her turn.

She looks towards where Shikamaru and Ino are sitting together and black eyes meet her gaze. Her lips stretch unnaturally over her teeth. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Sakura faced Shikamaru in the middle of the arena and she could feel something inside her chest welling up inside of her, growing with each cheer.

The proctor raised his hand. "BEGIN!"

Sakura launched herself as the last syllable left his lips, making Shikamaru stumble as she landed ontop of him, kunai already out.

Shikamaru grunted as he palmed his hands on the sign of his signature jutsu only to have a hand stabbed to the ground. He nearly screamed as she twisted. Sakura smirked down at him, heel on his other hand and another kunai at his neck. "You shouldn't dwaddle Shikamaru. It makes for dead bodies."

The stadium went quiet. This- This was a new record. No one had ever won so quickly! Then one man stood and soon the whole place was loud and about. The proctor coughed before raising his hand, "Haruno Sakura wins!"

* * *

Sakura walked up the stairs, back to her seat when a familiar voice called out to her, "You apparently broke the record for the fastest battle in the Chunin Exams."

"Anko taught me not to fool around with enemies," Sakura replied turning, "Hello Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi smiled behind his mask, "Well she certainly taught you well in that aspect. Although, wasn't maiming his hand a bit too harsh?"

Sakura merely turned, "Not at all. I'll be going to my seat now."

Kakashi only walked with her, "I'll join you then."

"Do what you want."

They walked together in silence before finally sitting down, eyes watching Sasuke and Gaara ready to fight. Then there were feathers.

And blissful darkness.

* * *

Sakura gasped as she shot up, eyes wide with terror. Darkness was not blissful. Why was she falling asleep? She wasn't supposed to- dodge.

She ducked her head down as a kunai came sailing over her head and she shot up as another hit her seat. In one deft movement, she was had thrown her kunai and had shot it into a man's throat before moving to another man.

As she did, she wondered where Naruto and Sasuke were? Would they back her up? She went for another kill as she complemented this.

Eyes landed on a flash of orange and blue.

No they were not.

But she didn't have time to think about that.

It was murder after murder and she could feel the humming from her mind raise to her lips and as she hummed one note, another man from Sound fell.

How ironic.

Finally she finished off most of the men in her surrounding area. It was surprising how long it'd take for people to stop underestimating pink-haired girls. The last notes of her song rang sweetly from her lips before it was overtaken by the screams and sounds of metal. She frowned. She didn't like this sound.

This was not Konoha.

This was a battlefield and she's had enough of battlefields already.

* * *

Kakashi could see out of the corner of his eye a tornado of pink. Unpredictable, dangerous.

Those two words described his female student very well after all.

Haruno Sakura was now dangerous.

* * *

Sakura laid down a flower on the Hokage gravestone before moving on to let another person lay down their offering.

It was surreal.

Who knew a God could fall?

* * *

She looked out in the vast dreary sky, silent and for once not humming.

Naruto was gone. Sasuke and Kakashi were in a coma.

She was alone just like in the Forest.

Sakura got up and went to Hokage Tower. "I would like to request a mission."

* * *

Sakura looked at the woman in front of her, "You… You're Senju Tsunade, the Slug Queen."

The woman looked down at her with slight amusement, "At least one brat knows my title. I am going to heal your teammate and teacher."

Sakura nodded before walking towards their room, Tsunade's steps following her. "You're awfully quiet for a person who's going to have their teammates back."

"They haven't been here for a while Tsunade-sama. I've been used to it I suppose."

* * *

Sasuke, unlike Kakashi, had not handled waking up well.

He had been rather sullen and quiet with an angry intensity. It bothered her. After all, a quiet animal was a dangerous one and so Sakura took careful watch of him.

It paid off.

Sasuke had grabbed Naruto, dragging him up to the roof and proposing a fight. Naruto, with a rather feral grin, had accepted.

Sakura frowned but kept aside, rocking on her heels even as her chakra fluctuated into a signal for any jonin nearby. She didn't trust these two especially with Naruto and his need to prove himself and Sasuke with his uncontrollable jealousy.

The fight was now starting to get heated and eyes looked about for any sign of a shinobi. No one was there and she started fluctuating her chakra faster. Suddenly they were making handsigns and concentrating large amounts of chakra in their hands and she was running to stop them and-

Kakashi?

Kakashi had an angry look on his face as he threw them to opposite sides of the roof and he looked down at her. "Are you okay?"

Her lips quirked up, "You're late Sensei."

He smiled at her, the dark mood elevated, "I'm sorry. I got lost on the road of life."

He then turned to face the two boys of the team, a snarl on his lips, "What were you two thinking?!"

Naruto looked sheepish while Sasuke looked even angrier, "Why'd you inter-"

"You two almost killed yourselves and your teammate! What is wrong with you two? I did not teach you that jutsu, Sasuke, so you could turn it on your teammate! And Naruto, Jiraiya did not teach you that jutsu for you to throw it around and kill your friends!"

Naruto looked suitably chastened while Sasuke looked less angry. Kakashi kept scowling, "I will be talking to you Sasuke and Naruto, Jiraiya will be talking to you. Both of you, apologize to Sakura."

"Sakura-chan-"

Sakura was already gone.

* * *

The team had somehow separated without any of them noticing.

Sakura was now working with Anko and on the occasion, Kakashi. Kakashi had been adamant on not letting go of his once-female student and while she could have argued against it, she didn't. She rather liked Kakashi in some way.

Even if he did leave her in the end.

Thus, Sakura now spent time with one person.

It was a lonely life and it became even lonelier when she left too.

* * *

Sakura stood in front of the new Hokage, quiet. Tsunade crossed her hands together, "You must be wondering why you're here."

"Hai," Sakura recited dutifully.

Tsunade smirked before leaning back, "I'm promoting you Haruno. You are now a Chunin."

Sakura stared at her even as Tsunade threw a Chunin vest at her, "Now get out."

She stared at the vest, tracing the pockets. "Thank you Hokage-sama."

Tsunade's lips quirked up. "Don't thank me yet kid. Also before you leave… one more thing."

"Naruto?"

"He's asking about you."

"I know."

"You won't say anything?"

"There is nothing to be said."

* * *

"Haruno! Hokage-sama is asking for you!"

Sakura looked up from sharpening her kunai and stood up, "Coming."

* * *

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Uchiha has run off and Naruto is in the Hospital."

Sakura pursed her lips, "And you want me to retrieve the Uchiha?"

Tsunade nodded approvingly, "Yes."

Sakura hummed, "May I request a team?"

"Granted."

* * *

"Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Hinata, Akimichi Choji, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. You are hereby installed in the Uchiha retrieval squad. Any objections?" Sakura asked as she stood in front of the gates.

They all looked at each other, confusion marring their faces. This was a rather ragtag team and they were most likely going to go after high ranking kidnappers. Hinata slowly raised her hand and dark emerald landed on her, "What is it? Hurry up."

"D-Don't you want N-Neji…?"

Sakura studied her before laughing, full of mirth. "That's your only worry?" She stopped laughing. "No. I need teammates who at least know how to work together and while Shikamaru and Choji don't know how to work with you, the other two do. Now is that all?"

Hinata blinked at her. Usually no one chose her and she flushed, "T-Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet," Sakura muttered before yelling, "Let's go!"

They followed her as she started running.

* * *

They made rather good pace and soon Hinata could see them within range of her Byakugan. Finally Sakura made them halt, peering from the undergrowth. She could see a cylinder-like box and four shinobi, all with Sound headbands.

Sakura hummed inwardly as she wondered who she should first attack. After all Anko had taught her that it was better to attack first than to be attacked. She rather liked her chances of at least killing one…

Eyes landed on the female of the team and she launched herself in.

Sakura made sure to rip her completely through, sawing through bone and muscle till the head was off. It all took a few seconds and she sat on the body, lifting the head.

The Sound Four- no, Three stared at her and suddenly she was dropping the head as there was a flurry of motion with Sakura dodging the Sound ninja and the rest of her team jumping in.

Choji was taking on the largest one of the Sound nin with Shikamaru backing him up while Hinata took on the spider-like one with Kiba following. Shino, a force all by himself, fought the last one.

Sakura looked at this and smiled before she turned to the casket. She looked at it, walking around the thing before she pulled out a few tags from her holster. She had snuck in a few chakra repressors and this would be perfect for it. She slapped it on before looking around. Looks like her team was finished. "Clean up after yourselves and don't forget to seal the head. When you're done with that, let's head out. I don't want any backup coming to cut us off."

* * *

Tsunade waited at the gates, arms crossed. She could suddenly feel chakra approaching and in a few minutes, she could see them. "Haruno, did you succeed in your mission?"

Sakura dumped the casket in front of her with a light tune on her lips. "Of course."

"And did you take care of whoever took the Uchiha?"

Sakura waved Shikamaru forward who looked rather serious instead of his lackadaisical self. He pulled out four scrolls and unsealed them one by one, revealing a head for each scroll. "Four heads for your wall."

Tsunade lifted one delicate eyebrow before smiling, "Good job all of you. You all completed your mission to the utmost fullest. I am impressed."

The genin looked at each other, smiling while Sakura only resealed the heads. She handed it over to Tsunade as a few ANBU appeared, taking the casket. "May I leave?"

"Of course Haruno. And one more thing."

"Hai?"

"Sometimes I think that you have been mis-ranked."

* * *

Sakura is walking through the streets of Konoha when a hand grabs her arm. She whirls around, teeth bared, only to find Naruto with wide eyes and a desperate grip. Sakura relaxed then, eyes narrowing, "What do you want?"

"You brought him back?!" Naruto asked eyes wide, "You seriously brought him back?"

Sakura sighed before wrenching her arm from his hand. "Go ask Hokage-sama."

Naruto runs then and she watches him go before turning on her heel. _Figures he'd only ask about that._

* * *

She does not hear about her teammates for two years.

Instead, she is taking on missions and moving up ranks and she finally ends up in a job that she never expected as a genin- a genin before the Forest of Death.

She is in ANBU Black Ops and is just a mask that no one knows.

She likes it that way, Sakura thought, as she watched her victim move from below her. She readied her black steel kunai and jumped.

The only sound heard is blood squelching and breathing going silent.

Sakura stood as she pulled out a scroll.

Leave no evidence.

* * *

Sakura stood in front of Tsunade, scroll in hand when the door slams open. She jumps then, disappearing in the shadows that she was so used to and her eyes widen behind her mask as she recognizes someone she had not seen in a long time.

Naruto.

Two people follow then, Kakashi and…

Sasuke.

Eyes watched curiously then as Naruto exuberantly talked with Tsunade who's face became softer than anything she's seen before. Sakura watched for a minute then before disappearing.

That wasn't her world anymore.

She is Crow, she is ANBU.

She is not Haruno Sakura.

* * *

A couple of years passes.

Tales of what is Team Seven erupt over the whole entire world, of Naruto and Sasuke and Kakashi and a new member named Sai.

Sakura is still in ANBU, a new record for any shinobi staying in Black Ops ( _she even broke Kakashi's record and wasn't that an achievement)_ and her mask is uttered with a sort of reverence.

Then war erupts and her mask is thrown aside.

She is suddenly not Crow.

She is back to Haruno Sakura and she does not like it.

* * *

Sakura is in the main battlefield and she suffers through the swarms of Zetsus and the Juubi rising and Madara's return. She sees the deaths of her fellow ninja and not-so fellow ninja and she cannot feel.

She can only fight.

When she does, something in her snaps just as the way it did during the Forest of Death and she vaguely realizes that she doesn't have to clean up the bodies anymore. She smiles and goes after Madara and Obito.

Her rationality tells her it's suicide, that she'll die and she smiles as she thinks this, a humming rising through the battle-infested air.

Obito looks at her, kunai against kunai. "Who are you?"

Sakura laughs and it is hysterical and loud.

Naruto looks at her with unrecognizing eyes and in Sasuke there is only a small wink of recognition for the chunin who brought him back.

Sakura takes out another kunai and a battle begins.

* * *

Sakura looked at the body of Obito and she grabs her kunai, hands trembling and bloody and starts to cut through his head.

As she cuts, she remembers the lesson she had learned as a young shinobi. She remembers how Gods can be killed and weaklings can destroy.

She remembers and she takes his head to never forget.

* * *

She is fighting again when those strange vines wrap around her and she stares up at the moon and-

Nothing.

She sees nothing but darkness.

It is comforting and she takes peace in the inky blackness.

Then she falls asleep and it is beautiful.

* * *

When Sakura wakes up from the dream, it is not time for battles or war.

It is time to go home.

Sakura does not say a word, instead she packs up her things and gets ready to leave. Then someone stops her. "Hey you're the person that killed Obito right?"

Sakura turns and she meets Naruto's eyes. Her voice is gravelly as she answers, "Yes."

Naruto squinted his eyes then, his attention moving away from Obito's death to her. "You- You look familiar."

Sakura only turns, her steps quiet as she walked away and- "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura does not speak but keeps walking away. Naruto stares at her with a desperate look then and he chases after her, hounding her. "Sakura-chan!"

He grabbed her arm. "Sakura-chan, where- where did you go?"

Sakura regarded him with green, _green_ eyes. "I never went anywhere."

Naruto lets go of her after that.

* * *

When the war is done, all she has is a medal, bounty money and scars.

She hangs up her ANBU gear, goes to therapy and turns something close to normal with long hair and nice smiles.

 _(she is not normal)_

* * *

It is twelve years later when there is a Chunin Exam.

She sits in one of the many rows and she watches, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She observes Sasuke's child fighting, Naruto and Hinata's boy who uses a rather tricky weapon. Eyes watch Orochimaru's own genetic spawn and she smiles, no lip and all teeth.

It looks like this generation has potential.

Then a strange shinobi lands in the middle of the arena just as Naruto and Boruto's argument ends.

She lifts herself up as his wide hands glow red and she launches herself down like a demon incarnate just as he's about to slam it down.

Her kunai ( _how long it's been since she's wielded it)_ slashes down and in a gentle arc of red, he falls over, choking on his own blood. Sakura turns then and looks at her kunai before lifting it to her hair, heedless of the crimson tainting it.

It brings back memories.

Naruto stares at her then, recognition in his face as she shears her head. "Sakura-chan?"

The last bit of hair fell to the ground.

She smiled and started to hum.

 _(she is merciless)_


End file.
